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US Democrats push US$1 billion bill for election security

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US Democrats push US$1 billion bill for election security

Congressional Democrats on Wednesday introduced legislation that would provide more than US$1 billion to boost cyber security of U.S. voting systems, saying inaction has made elections vulnerable to more interference from Russian hackers.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) walks after a vote to end a government shutdown on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., February 9, 2018. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

15 Feb 2018 02:55AM(Updated: 15 Feb 2018 05:55AM)

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WASHINGTON: Congressional Democrats on Wednesday introduced legislation that would provide more than US$1 billion to boost cyber security of U.S. voting systems, and Vice President Mike Pence defended the administration's efforts to protect polls from hackers.

The measure followed warnings on Tuesday from U.S. intelligence officials that midterm races in November are likely to see renewed meddling from Russia and possibly other foreign adversaries.

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"We cannot let the Russians laugh about and take joy in the success they had in the last election," Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic leader in the House of Representatives, said at a news conference. "Their goal is to undermine democracy."

Lawmakers have introduced several bills, some with bipartisan support, to bolster election security since the 2016 polls in which Republican Donald Trump was elected president. None have become law.

The new bill is the most comprehensive to date and is aimed at bolstering protection for the midterms and subsequent elections. It has no Republican co-sponsors in the House, which the party controls, and is therefore unlikely to succeed.

Vice President Mike Pence, speaking at an event hosted by the online news site Axios, said that Americans could trust the 2016 election results and that it was an "ongoing effort" of Trump's administration to protect election infrastructure.

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Pence also incorrectly said it was the "universal conclusion" among intelligence agencies that Moscow's efforts had no impact on the 2016 election outcome.

The agencies said in a January 2017 report that no assessment was made about the impact of Russian meddling but that Russia used hacking and propaganda to try to tilt the election in Trump's favour. Russian President Vladimir Putin has denied this.

A Pence representative did not immediately respond to a request to clarify the discrepancy between Pence's comments and the intelligence assessment.

The Democrats' Election Security Act would provide US$1 billion for the U.S. Election Assistance Commission to help states buy voting machines that incorporate backup paper ballots, hire security staff and conduct risk assessments.

The measure would create a US$20 million grant program for states to perform post-election audits. States would also get US$1 for each voter in the most recent election for security purposes.

The bill would require the Department of Homeland Security to expedite security clearances for state election officials and direct the president to develop a strategy to guard U.S. institutions, including elections, from cyber attacks and influence operations.

The department last year said 21 states had experienced initial probing of their systems from Russian hackers and a small number of networks were compromised.

Virtually all 50 states have taken steps since the 2016 election to purchase more secure equipment, expand use of paper ballots, improve cyber training or seek federal assistance, according to groups that track election security.

But Congress has not provided more money or support, and lawmakers have failed to allocate US$400 million in leftover election improvement funds pledged 16 years ago.

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